Axios

• Why it matters: Trump and his administration are doing this systematically, gleefully and unmistakably. But as we’ve written before, this unprecedented shift could set the precedent for future Democratic presidents, too.

🔭 The big picture: Trump frames this as payback for what he calls incompetent, left-wing coverage, and the White House says it’s expanding access to new voices and outlets. The White House Correspondents’ Association says he’s tearing “at the independence of a free press in the United States.”

• The end result is twofold: much tighter control over media, and new tools and tactics to punish critics.